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Germany
Germany a.k.a. the Federal Republic of Germany, is the most populous country in central Europe (80 million) and the largest economy in the European Union. The national capital of this federal state is Berlin. Today Germany is a thriving social democracy with a large public sector and a large non-government non-profit sector. The unofficial motto, and the driving force behind the nation, is "Drittes mal Glück". History Like Italy, Germany was not politically unified until the middle of the 19th Century. After Germany was unificated, forming the German Empire, it colonized (Colonised) other countries, much like other European countries. It lost its colonies and a bit of land after losing World War 1. Germany was then a Republic until the Nazis (See below) took over. After losing World War 2, Germany was divided between Communist East Germany and Democratic West Germany for around 50 years before it could finally unify into the one country it is today. Nazism Nazi Germany is often associated with the Nazi Party, which was the governing party of the country and started the Second World War in Europe by invading Poland in 1939. (For Ethiopians, the Second World War began with the Italian invasion in 1935 and for the Chinese it began with the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937). Nazism is a variety of fascism, and as such a grab-bag of ideas that included "Volkish" Pan-German nationalism, pseudo-scientific racism, social Darwinism, futurism, Nietzschean philosophy, etc. The "socialism" in the name of the Nazi Party (National Socialism) referred to "organic" socialism rather than the Marxism. Post war After World War II Germany was again divided. First Germany was separated into 4 sectors each ruled by one of the 4 victorious allies. There was a French Sector, an American Sector, A British Sector and a Soviet Sector. Later the 3 democratic allies established democratic government in the parts of Germany they controled and ended the occupation there. The capital city, Berlin also divided into 4 sectors. West Berlin became de facto part of West Germany though in theory it was separate while East Berlin was the capital of East Germany. West Germany became an independent democratic nation and later joined the European Union but East Germany stayed under the control of the Soviet Union till communism broke down in eastern Europe in the later 1980’s. After Democracy was established in East Germany the two Germanies decided democratically to reunite. Since then there is not West or East Germany. There is only Germany. The parts of Germany that were West and East Germany are sometimes referred to as former East Germany and former West Germany. Health Care Germany has Europe's oldest Universal Health Care system. Under his social legislation, Otto von Bismarck signed the Health Insurance Bill of 1883, Accident Insurance Bill of 1884, and Old Age and Disability Insurance Bill of 1889, providing all Germans with equal health treatment. See? Even the Germans had health care in the 1880s, when they were still a new nation. And Bismark was certainly not a Socialist, Bismark was in many ways a nasty Conservative and couldn't see anything worth having outside Christian civilizations, that means the achievements of Indian civilization, Chinese civilization etc were all worthless for Bismark. http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/o/ottovonbis390239.html Bismark was thoroughly prejudiced against Non-Christians. Did Bismark really believe that the achievements of Ancient Greece and Pagan Rome before Constantine were worthless? More likely he spoke without thinking. Trivia Germany is also the world's largest supplier of exported beer, wurstels and sedans, for which the world is grateful. Links * sickness funds * German colonialism Category:Geography Category:Countries Category:Europe